Hydraulic motor.



NO MODEL.

PATENTBD AUG. 9, 1904.

W. W. ALLEN.

HYDRAULIC MOTOR.

APrLIoATIoN L "ILEIJ Nov. 2. 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PATENTED AUG. 9, 1901!.

W. W. ALLEN. HYDRAULIC MOTOR.

APILIOATION FILED NOV. 2, 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

NO MODEL.

f7/iam'. W

Patented August 9, 1904.v

PATENT OEEICE.

WILLIAM 1V. ALLEN, OE BALLINGER, TEXAS.V

HYDRAULIC Moron.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 766,801, dated August 9, 1904..

Application tiled November 2, 1903.

To all whom 'llt may concern,.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM W. ALLEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ballinger, in the county of Runnels and State of Texas, have invented a new and useful Hydraulic Motor, of which the` following is a specification.

' This invention relates to hydraulic motors; and it has for its object to provide a device of this class which shall possess superior advantages in point of simplicity, durability, and general efficiency.

My invention has special reference to that class ot' hydraulic motors which are known as current-motors and which are usually employed in shallow and rapid streams in order to make the motive power of such streams available without the construction of dams and, in fact, without the necessity of providing elaborate and costly structures.

My present invention comprises a Jframe adapted to be staked or otherwise secured to the bottom or bed of a stream, said frame supporting a horizontally-disposed wheel mount ed upon a vertical axis having a crank from which motion may be transmitted to the machinery to be operated.

The invention specially consists in the improved construction of the water-wheel and the buckets of the same and other structural details, as will appear when the nature of the invention is more fully understood.

The details of construction of m-y invention will be hereinafter more iiully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

ln the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of amotor constructed in accordance with the principles of my invention. Fig. 2 vis a vertical sectional view. Fig. Sis a sectional detail view taken on the line 3 3 in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing one of the buckets and related parts.

Corresponding parts in the several figures are indicated by similar numerals of reference.

The base-frame of my improved hydraulic motor is composed ot' three metallic strips or bars 1 1 and 2, the former of which being the longer ones, which are crossed about centrally at an angle to each other. The crossbars 1 1 are connected at what may be termed SerialNo. 179,626. (No model.)

their Lrear ends by means oi a pair of arched cross-braces 3 and 4L. which are provided at their lower ends with Jfeet 6, are connected to form a cage, which is connected with the base-fraine by means of bolts or other suitable fastening means connecting the i'eet 6 with the base members 1 and 2. The intersecting points of the base-bars and of the cage-bars are provided with bearings for a vertical shaft or axle 7, upon which is mounted the hub 8 oi' a water-wheel, said shaft being provided above said hub with a crank 9 ior the transmission of motion.

The water-wheel is composed, besides the hub, of a plurality of spokes radiating from said hub and designated 10 and 11, the spokes 10 radiating from the upper portion and the spokes 11 from the lower end of the hub. The upper spokes 10 support a pair oi' concentric rings-namely, an outer ring 12 and an inner ring 13. A pair of corresponding concentric rings 12L and 13u are secured to the under sides oi' the spokes 11. The outer ends of the spokes 10 and 11 are connected by up rights 14, which support the outer ends of rods 15, the inner ends ol" which are suitably supported in the hub.

Each of the buckets of my improved waterwheel is composed of a pair oi' plates 16 and 16a, which are hingedly connected with each other and with one oi the supporting-rods 15, each of said yplates being provided at its outer edge with a flange 17 17, the iiange 17 of the upper plate 16 being turned in a downward direction, while the l'lange `17 of the lower plate 16L is turned upwardly, said plates being thus overlapped, as will be readily seen. The plates 16 and 16fL are wedge-shaped or tapering, their outer ends being much wider than their inner ends, which being' disposed in proximity to the hub are necessarily quite narrow, while the outer ends of the plate constituting the buckets may be oi considerable width, thus forming buckets of considerable capacity. It is obvious that the lower plates will rest and be supported upon the lower rings 12 and 13, which is their normal position, The normal position of the upper plates 16 will be lowered until the flanges 17 are supported upon the lower plates 16". l/Vhen the Three arched bars 5,'

TOO

machine, however, is submerged below the surface of a rapidly-movingcurrent, the tendency of the current will be to force in an upward direction the plates 16 of the buckets disposed on one side of thc axis of the wheel, the impact of the current serving to raise the upper plates and to rotate the wheel. rIhe buckets upon the opposite side of the axis will, on the other hand, be closed,so as to present but slight obstacle to the rotation of the wheel. The operation of the wheel naturally is continuous and requires little or no attention after the machine has once been placed in position. To place it in position, all that is necessary is to slightly level the bed of the stream sutliciently to accommodate the framework and the cage containing` the wheel. rlhe machine may then be sunk and secured to the bed or bottom ofthe stream in any suitable manner, according to the nature thereof.

In the drawings accompanying this specification I have shown a double-acting pump 2O mounted upon the cross-braces 3 and 4, the piston-rod 2l of said pump being connected by a pitman 22 with the crank 9 ot' the shaft 7. In the example illustrated the pump is provided with duplicate escape-spouts 23, which converge into a single discharge-spout 24, which may be connected by hose or in any suitable manner with the place of delivery. The shaft 7 may also be provided at its Lipper end with a gear-wheel 25 or other suitable means from which motion may be transmitted to any machinery that it may be desired to drive by the power derived from the motor.

I have in the foregoing described a simple and preferred construction of my improved hydraulic motor; but I desire it to be understood that I do not necessarily limit myself to the precise structural details herein set forth, but reserve the right to any changes,

alterations, and modifications which may be resorted to within the scope of my invention and without departing from the spirit or sacrilicing the utility of the same.

Having thus described my invention, I claiml. In a device or' the class described, a baseframe composed of members radiating from a common center, a cage composed of arched bars intersecting' each other at a point in perpendicular alinement with the center of the base-frame, said arched bars having feet securely connected with the members of the base frame, a crank-axle journaled at the points of intersection of the members of the base-frame and of the members of the cage, and a current-wheel mounted upon said axle, said wheel comprising a hub, spokes radiating' from the upper and lower ends of said hub, concentric rings connected with said spokes, vertical braces connecting the outer ends of the upper and lower spokes, rods connecting said braces with the hub, and foldable buckets comprising anged plates hingedly connected with each other and with the said rods.

2. In a device of the class described, a current-wheel comprising a hub, spokes radiating from the upper and lower ends of said hub, vertical braces connecting the outer ends of. said spokes, rods connecting said braces with the hub, and tapering plates connected hingedly, in pairs, with said rods and overlapping flanges at the outer ends of said plates.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

VILLIAM W. ALLEN.

Vitnesses:

W. L. TOWNER, B. B. STONE. 

